1.)Legislators: What is a legislator? Who might be a contemporary example of a legislator?2.)Freedom and the size of the state: Rousseau says the more a state is enlarged the more freedom is diminished. Why does he think this is the case? What does it mean with respect to the United States? Is the United States a “free” state in Rousseau’s terms?3.)Civil Religion and Political Freedom: What is the relationship between civil religion and political freedom according to Rousseau?4.)Rousseau and populism: Rousseau’s concept of the general will is often associated with populism, which is the idea that the people are right and that their will should prevail over constitutional measures that enshrine principles and the form of government from the tides of popular opinion. Do you think it makes sense to associate Rousseau with populism? Would he agree with contemporary populists?5.)Rousseau in global society: What can Rousseau’s ideas contribute to contemporary problems in a world where our political organization is moving to an ever larger scale, rather than the small states that he envisioned as having the best prospects for law directed by the general will?
